Amanda and Ashley just had their Dance Recital over the weekend. One more year of dance at an end. I don't know why I get sad. All those costumes now have to put away, maybe to never be used again. I guess it's also a milestone for my girls. They are getting older. They are getting so tall and so beautiful. I guess you start to realize that this is such a temporary stage. Friends of mine who had kids my kids age just yesterday are now watching their children get married, go on missions, and to college. That's surreal to me. But it's just part of life. They tell us that this life is like a blink in all eternity. I wish I could just bottle those special moments. Like the joy you feel when your daughter smiles from ear to ear on stage and knowing that she's feeling complete joy as the audience cheers her on. Like watching a sleeping 3 year old snuggled in the crook of your arm so peacefully. (I don't care what the supernanny say's~parents who don't sleep with their kids are so missing out.) It's such a short time that they're with you, why not enjoy every second. Or, Like watching two little boys chasing each other throwing sand and listening to their infectious laughter. I'll miss it when they grow up and move away. I wish I could remember that during the moments of frustration when I'm picking up everyone's crap! lol

I had a Fight with a Tick and the Tick Won!

A couple of weeks ago Dustin and I decided that it would be super fun to plant our Vegi garden for FHE. We had the whole family out there clearing it and getting it ready, and planting it. Evan did AWESOME. What a hard little worker...when he wants to be. I send Ashley in to clean up Austin who is just dirt from head to toe. Did someone try to plant him? I go check and Austin has no pants on, just a shirt, and he's sitting on the counter with his feet in the sink????(Yes, I know we have strange bathing rituals) She says to me all worried, Mom what is on Austin? I look and sure enough there are 4 little bugs smaller than the size of a pin tip attached in places to make any man cringe. I immediately call Dustin because, well...OH...MY...GOLSH! He comes in from outside just to say, "You're going to have to get them off." WIMP. Glad there's one of us that doesn't pass out at the sight of blood.lol. So I take care of the business and send everyone upstairs to the bathroom to check the rest of us. This is true meaning of family togetherness. Evan has 2 bites, and Dustin and Ashley have them crawling on them. Me? I find two biting but there were probably a dozen crawling on me...Shiver...I don't like bugs.

2 weeks later, after feeling a little crappy and achy in the strangest of places., (The end of my ring finger? My wrists? Thigh? Shoulder? ok thats normal for carrying kids around. Head, Neck, Back, naseated...for about 2 min. I thought I might be pregnant again...FRIGHT!!!... and my face keeps going numb?!?!?!that better go away!!!!) Then woke up sunday morning with the tell tale sign of the Bullseye rash on the back of my leg. CRAP!!!! That means, Dr...Blood test...Medication...YUCK!!!! They won't know for sure it's Lymes disease until after a blood test I can't take for 6 weeks, but heavy antibiotics will be on the menu for a while. Yay!!!!!

Ashley had it last year...I don't think I was as sympathetic as I should have been. Wierd stuff. Thank Heaven for the miracle of modern medicine.

It's crazy that something so tiny could clobber us like that...makes you wonder what the purpose of a tick is anyway... Just a nasty little parasite...but if something so small and insignificant can make you that sick, I will be so happy to be pain free again when I've gotten rid of it, that I will appreciate the laundry and neverending dishes and I will want to clean my house spotless?!?!?! ...hmmmm....one can always hope, right? :)